Renault Austral review

Is the Renault Austral a good car?

The latest Renault Austral is a family SUV defined by its tech, with a bang-up-to-date infotainment system that works really well, which will be enough to win sales, while the level of kit on offer for the monthly outlay is undoubtedly competitive. 

However, practicality is acceptable rather than class-leading, and the way the Austral drives – its ride in particular – means it's behind those at the sharp end of the sector. It's a strong effort from Renault that moves on from the old Renault Kadjar, but this area of the market is ultra-competitive, and there are some very talented rivals in it.

Our choice: Renault Austral E-Tech Hybrid Techno Esprit Alpine

How much does the Renault Austral cost?

Due to the increasing popularity of family SUVs, the Renault Austral is a vitally important replacement for Renault’s Kadjar family SUV. In effect, the French brand is facing the equivalent of the music industry's 'difficult second album'. Prices start from a little over £34,500 for the entry-level Techno, rising to a little under £37,000 for the mid-range Techno Espirit Alpine, before topping out at just under £39,000 for the top-of-the-range Iconic Espirit Alpine.

In order to meet the demands of customers and compete with rivals, the Austral comes as standard with a hybrid system. It comprises a 1.2-litre three-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine supplemented by a small 1.7kWh battery feeding an electric motor. The total combined output of the engine and electric motor is 197bhp. This ‘E-Tech 200’ powertrain is capable of completing up to 80 per cent of city driving on electricity alone, Renault claims. All that driving under electric power helps deliver what Renault describes as “class-leading efficiency”, with up to 60.1mpg possible and CO2 emissions from as low as 105g/km. So far, so good, then.

Prices for the Austral in entry-level Techno form are steeper than for some of its direct rivals, although this stiff pricing is mitigated by the long list of standard equipment, including 19-inch alloys, front and rear parking sensors, a reversing camera, 12-inch digital instrument cluster, 12.3-inch portrait touchscreen, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, plus some nifty premium features such as adaptive LED headlights and a 9.3-inch head-up display. 

Higher up in the trim level pecking order are the overly wordy Techno Esprit Alpine and range-topping Iconic Esprit Alpine. The former has larger 20-inch wheels, electrically adjustable and heated front seats, plus a wealth of safety and convenience tech like adaptive cruise control with lane steering assistance and traffic sign recognition.

The latter Iconic Esprit Alpine adds a fancier Harman Kardon sound system, a 360-degree surround view camera, and wireless phone charging.

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If you spend most of your time in town, you’ll appreciate that the Renault Austral prioritises using electric power to move the car along, boosting efficiency and also benefitting refinement, However, it isn’t quite so refined at higher speeds when the engine has to kick in, and its gearbox isn’t as smooth as rival hybrid systems, such as the e-Power set-up used in the Nissan Qashqai. The ride is also too firm for a mid-size SUV aimed at transporting families. Read more about the Renault Austral's engines, performance and drive…

Fuel economy and low emissions are a Renault Austral strong suit, often being much lower than its traditional hybrid rivals, although company car drivers might still be better off looking at the Austral’s plug-in and electric rivals that have even more affordable Benefit-in-Kind (BiK) tax rates. Insurance and depreciation costs are on par with the class. Read more about the Renault Austral's MPG, emissions and running costs…

The Renault Austral isn’t the most striking-looking mid-size SUV on the outside, but it won’t put anyone off, unlike the love-or-hate looks of the Hyundai Tucson. Inside, screens dominate the Austral dashboard, but the software behind them is quick and responsive, while there remain some handy physical controls for the climate control to make this set-up less distracting to use on the move than many rivals that have integrated all features into their respective touchscreens. Read more about the Renault Austral's interior, design and technology…

The Renault Austral isn’t the biggest mid-size SUV out there, contributing to it being beaten by the likes of the Hyundai Tucson and Kia Sportage both in terms of passenger and boot space. There are some handy touches in the Austral, such as the sliding rear seat that allows for either more cargo room or greater rear passenger leg space, depending upon your needs at the time. Chunky pillars obstruct your view, but the Austral comes with standard blind spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and a reversing camera with front and rear parking sensors to help mitigate that issue.  Read more about the Renault Austral's boot space, comfort and practicality…

Safety is a Renault Austral strong suit, with a maximum five-star out of five rating from crash test experts Euro NCAP, along with a substantial list of standard safety assistance technology features that should help to prevent you from getting into a collision in the first place. However, the Renault brand still has work to do regarding its disappointing Driver Power score. Read more about the Renault Austral’s reliability and safety…

Renault Austral alternatives

The entire Austral range is only available with hybrid power to improve efficiency and help it mix with similarly hybrid-powered competition from the Ford Kuga, Hyundai Tucson, Kia Sportage, Nissan Qashqai, and Toyota RAV4. The Austral sits above the brand’s smaller SUV, the Renault Captur, while the Renault Scenic E-Tech will serve as an all-electric alternative to the Austral for company car drivers looking to lower their Benefit-in-Kind (BiK) tax bill.

The Austral has its benefits, namely its fuel economy and emissions advantages against its non-plug-in hybrid rivals, along with its excellent infotainment system. However, it falls behind our reigning mid-size SUV champion, the Hyundai Tucson, in terms of its ride comfort and the smoothness of its gearbox.